Moonguesthouse(문게스트하우스)

602.4884205232042m 17151 2024-06-20

31-18, Samil-daero 32-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-745-8008, +82-10-8704-9981

The Moon Guesthouse is situated near a number of interesting tourist destinations including Unhyeongung Palace (3min on foot), Bukchon Hanok Village (5min on foot), Changdeokgung Palace (5min on foot), and Changgyeonggung Palace (10min on foot). The guesthouse was named ‘moon’ (‘door’ in English) because it has many 176 doors and windows. Upon entering by the gate, visitors will see a ‘ㄷ’-shaped hanok building in the courtyard, in which a wooden bedstead and a table are placed. On the opposite of the hanok building there is a wall roofed with tiles engraved with Korean patterns such as deer, pine, turtle, etc. Flowers in the flowerbed lined up along the wall are in bloom and the bonsai are also well-kept in the house. Renovated and opened as a guesthouse in September 2011, Moon Guesthouse consists of a bonchae (main building) and a byeolchae (detached house). The rooms are decorated with red clay and hanji (traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees), and have under-the-floor heating (ondol). Each room is equipped with an air-conditioner, and has a 40cm-thick layer of red clay over the ceiling for insulation, making the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. The house has seven individual guestrooms and five modern bathrooms, but the entire building (bonchae or byeolchae) can be rented, too. In particular, the unhyeondang of the bonchae is very popular as it can be converted into one large space for special events, group workshops, etc. simply by opening all the sliding doors (Bunhapmun – Goryeo construction style). This room, which is decorated with a flower-patterned windscreen, a landscape painting, and calligraphy, has been used as a shooting location for various TV programs including KBS2’s TV reality program Man’s Qualification and its variety show The Human Condition. The guestrooms are also equipped with traditional furniture including a cabinet inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The guesthouse also provides a variety of experience programs from 11am to 3pm, including tea ceremony, wearing Hanbok (traditional Korean clothes), making kimchi and gochujang (red chili paste), playing a traditional musical instrument, making a rubbing of a stone inscription, calligraphy, drawing orchids on a fan, and so on. The house has about seventy hanbok and other clothing accessories, as well as a royal costume. Its calligraphy and drawing orchid programs are run directly by the owner, who used to work as a classical Chinese teacher at a high school.

Gwanghwamun Gate (광화문)

613.1770091206758m 154063 2022-12-14

161, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3700-3900

Built in 1395 under the reign of King Taejo, the first king of the Joseon dynasty, Gwanghwamun Gate is the southern gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is also the main gate of the palace, therefore larger and fancier in comparison to the other gates. Gwanghwamun Gate consists of three arched gates; the center gate was used by the king, while the other two were used by the crown prince and royal officials. The tall granite walls of the gate serve as a platform for the wooden gate tower that watches over the city. The gate has a sign with its name written at the top center of the gate tower.

Gwanghwamun Gate went through several damages and restorations over the course of history. It was first severely damaged during the Imjin War (1592-1598) and was not restored until the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1864. Under the Japanese administration, the gate was demolished and relocated to the north of the palace's eastern gate, followed by series of damages during the Korean War (1950-1953). In 1968, Gwanghwamun Gate was relocated back to the south of the palace and was rebuilt using concrete; however, the gate’s position was shifted a few meters away from its original location. In 2006, a major reconstruction project took place to restore Gwanghwamun Gate to its original state and location, disassembling the structure completely and replacing concrete with granite and wood. After three years and eight months of construction, Gwanghwamun Gate was fully restored to its original form and was open to the public on August 15, 2010.

Choedaegamne (최대감네)

613.1932963708832m 4298 2024-03-18

12-3 Insadong 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-733-9355

Choedaegamne is a traditional Korean restaurant located in a hanok in Insa-dong, with a garden and a pond, and has been in operation for over 100 years. One of their popular dishes is the sangchu shabu jeongsik (shabu with rice in a cabbage set menu), where vegetables and meat are cooked in a broth and then enjoyed with noodles, served with a small rice ball on lettuce. They also offer a so galbijjim jeongsik (steamed beef ribs set menu) and bulgogi jeongsik (bulgogi set menu), served with lotus leaf rice and soybean paste jjigae. After the meal, guests can enjoy tea in the garden.

Insa-dong Maneul Bossam (인사동마늘보쌈)

618.9608065415941m 81 2024-03-18

12-5 Insadong 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-7885

Insa-dong Maneul Bossam is a Korean restaurant nestled in the alleys of Insa-dong. Specializing in dishes like maneul bossam (kimchi cabbage wraps with pork and garlic), kimchi jjim (braised kimchi), nakji bokkeum (stir-fried octopus), buchujeon (chive pancake), kimchijeon (kimchi pancake), yeolmu naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles with young summer radish kimchi), and bam makgeolli (unrefined chestnut rice wine). Their signature dish, the bossam jeongsik (kimchi cabbage wraps with pork set menu), features pork belly boiled in a secret broth, served with a sweet garlic sauce for dipping, along with seaweed soup, fresh vegetables for wrapping, dried radish salad, and side dishes. They also offer set menus for two people, and neomu hansang set menu.

CAFÉ TERRACE (카페테라스)

620.8924460716751m 39 2021-03-26

102-2, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-723-8250

It is a café that serves delicious waffles. This cafe is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The representative menu is waffle.

Museum Kimchikan (뮤지엄 김치간)

621.5540372375925m 17278 2024-03-18

(4-6th floor, Maru Art Center), 35-4, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-6002-6456

Museum Kimchikan is a museum dedicated to kimchi in Insa-dong’s Maru Art Center. The exhibition details the culture, history, trajectory, and efficacy of kimchi and teaches the visitors how to make kimchi through videos. Visitors can also sample different types of kimchi. The museum offers both individual and group experience programs, which require reservation via email.

Knife Gallery (나이프갤러리)

623.658143839607m 28948 2020-04-30

7, Insadong 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-4431

The only knife specialty museum in Korea, this Insa-dong gallery is home to over 6,000 knives from all over the world. They include traditional Korean and Japanese knives, Chinese knives, decorative knives, knives by famous artists, and knives shown in movies. There are a variety of knives for both daily and decorative uses. Customers who order custom knives may observe the entire manufacturing process.

Bukchon Museum (북촌생활사박물관)

623.7225380033699m 16723 2022-08-30

90, Bukchon-ro 5na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-736-3957

The Bukchon Museum displays items that have been collected from Bukchon, a historical village that was once home to the nation’s nobility. The museum was founded to observe urban development that took place in the recent decades through collected and preserved veryday household items that were used by Bukchon residents. Visitors are even allowed to touch items on display to better be able to imagine life in Korea before industrialization.

Dolsilnai - Insa Branch (돌실나이 (인사점))

630.9348650903394m 14783 2022-12-26

35, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-737-2232

To popularize hanbok, Dolsilnai offers modified hanbok suited for daily use. Focusing on simple elegance, Dolsilnai hanbok is known for all-cotton fabrics and pigment dyeing. While it doesn't ignore the beauty of traditional hanbok, Dolsilnai hanbok also emphasizes functional and practical qualities essential for modern daily living.

PKM Gallery (PKM갤러리)

633.7274909018028m 0 2024-03-18

40 Samcheong-ro 7-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

PKM Gallery, now providing 397 square meters of exhibition space, includes a main building with a maximum x_height of 5.5 meters comprising two upper stories and a two-story basement. PKM+, an annex built in 2018, has one upper story and a basement floor and is equipped with a boutique-like gallery space.
The gallery not only exhibits the works of leading figures in Korean contemporary art, but has also succeeded in introducing renowned international artists to the Korean audience. As an incubator for emerging young artists, PKM Gallery has been organizing exhibitions to encourage their growth as leading artists of the next generation. PKM gallery, the first among the Korean galleries invited to participate in the Frieze Art Fair in 2004, played a major role in advancing Korean contemporary art to the global art market.

Moonguesthouse(문게스트하우스) - Area information - Korea travel information